The Ties that Bind
by Emme
Summary: With knowledge of their past romances, chaos abounds in the lives of the Senshi!
1. Evil Exes

Warning: FIRST FANFIC! Run if you must, but please don't. I'm giving   
this whole writing for fun thing a try so...you know, bear with   
me.  
  
Note: This takes place in the first season. The girls remember enough  
to know that they were in love with the generals in their past  
lives. Mina is here from the start. Um...What else? Oh, and I  
hate the idea that they have to work their way up to stronger   
attacks so I'm giving them full use of their abilities. Serena   
and Darien still don't know who each other's alter egos are. Oh,  
and the senshi are all 16.  
  
Disclaimer: As my evil stepsister says, no matter how many coins I   
throw into fountains and make wishes on, I will never ever   
own Sailor Moon.  
  
The Ties that Bind  
by Emme  
7/27/01  
Part One  
  
Raye Hino prided herself on keeping a cool head under pressure.   
She considered herself fearless and she hardly ever lost her cool.  
However the sight of the innocent-looking plate of cookies hovering   
beneath her nose was enough to send shivers of dread down her spine.   
She risked a glance up at the earnest blue eyes staring fixedly at her.  
  
"Come on Raye, you have to try some. It looks better than the   
last batch and I swear I followed the recipe exactly." Here, the blonde   
gestured to the chocolate and flour covered Betty Crocker cookbook lying   
in the middle of the pitifully decimated kitchen. Raye cast a fearful   
glance in that direction before turning back to Serena. "Besides, its not   
as if one bite is gonna kill you."  
  
Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that, the raven-haired   
beauty thought doubtfully as she gingerly picked up a cookie.   
  
The girls were all gathered in Lita's small but cozy apartment   
for some much needed "down time." After battling the minions of Queen   
Beryl for five consecutive days, the girls were all, as Lita so   
graciously put it, "pooped out." Despite the rather unbecoming   
description, Raye would have to say she agreed. Even she, devout shrine  
maiden as she was, found it impossible to make her early morning   
meditations. It's the damn generals! Raye thought mournfully,   
or as Mina affectionately termed them, the "Evil Exes." (This phrase was   
always accompanied by an ominous wiggling of the fingers, much to her   
chagrin). Beryl, apparently, had decided to stop screwing around and   
actually develop some strategy. Now, with each battle came a guaranteed   
appearance of at least two generals bent of giving them a thorough ass   
kicking. She sighed. At least all of the corny "sailor brat" epithets   
had stopped. Tuxedo Mask had also thankfully ceased to make his pathetic,   
after-school special speeches. Now that was a true godsend.   
  
After the last battle that afternoon, Sailor Moon had put her   
foot down. A senshi sleepover was declared with pain of death upon failure   
to attend. It was really no wonder why. All the senshi had received sound  
poundings. Fortunately, they gave as good as they got. Both sides had   
left the battle with their share of cuts and bruises. Raye smiled with   
satisfaction, remembering how she had flame snipered Jedeite as he was  
laughing maniacally after having downed Mercury. The man was really too  
cocky. Of course, this all led to Raye's current predicament.  
  
Looking past Serena, she could see the rapt faces of her other   
non-culinary retarded friends. Lita's mouth was slightly open, turning her  
attention from the Saved by the Bell marathon to the event taking place.   
Mina was vigorously shaking her head no, her blonde hair repeatedly wacking   
Amy. Amy, taking no notice of the flying blonde strands, was busy   
calculating the chances of Raye's survival on her Mercury computer. Raye   
sighed. After carefully inspecting it for any loose objects, i.e., any loose   
change or rings or buttons that Serena might have accidentally baked into the   
cookie, she took a cautious bite.  
  
She chewed once.  
  
She chewed twice.  
  
No one breathed.  
  
"Serena...," Raye started.  
  
"Yes," the blonde breathed out eagerly. The room had gone still.   
Lita was still in a comatose state, but Mina and Amy had both stilled   
their movements. All eyes were on her.  
  
"Get...me...some...water," Raye bit out.  
  
Serena started, confused.  
  
"NOW!" the fiery priestess roared.  
  
Serena scrambled away, making her way to the kitchen à la Godzilla   
as Raye struggled to rid her mouth of the salt infested cookie. Upon   
receiving the much needed H20, Raye gulped it down greedily, not caring   
that half of the water was dribbling down her chin. Mina and Lita looked  
away with mild distaste.  
  
"Geez Serena, what are you trying to do? Kill me? That thing's   
loaded with half the salt from the ocean!" She said after her mouth had   
been reasonably soothed. Amy started to speak, presumably to correct the   
statement, but Raye silenced her with a look.  
  
"Just what are you talking about Raye?" Serena said haughtily,   
regaining some of her composure. "If anything, it should be loaded with   
sugar." With that, the blonde crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the   
air indignantly.  
  
A bitter exchange began.  
  
"Well its not. Here, taste it." Raye stuck the bitten cookie   
under Serena's nose.  
  
"No, you had some of it. I don't want your cooties."  
  
Raye snorted. "And just how old are you Serena? Five?"  
  
Sensing that another tongue war was about to start, Amy wisely cut   
in. "All right you two, am I going to have to separate you?" Raye's   
right, Serena does act like a five year old. But then, so does she.  
  
Both injured parties immediately started sulking. Now it was   
Amy's turn to sigh. Turning to Raye, the brains of the group gave a   
very uncharacteristic glare. "Honestly Raye, how could you have such   
a blatant disregard for your own life? You, of all people (if not me, of   
course) should have some common sense. You know what happened the last   
few times you tried some of Serena's cooking."  
  
Oh Raye remembered all too well. Giving an involuntary shudder,   
she recalled Serena's other misadventures in the kitchen. The blasted   
muffins two weeks ago had almost landed her in the emergency room, some   
wayward pennies having caused her to almost choke to death. Not to mention   
that splendid supposedly "easy to make five minute pudding" last month.   
Now those had resembled a pile of youma guts. Not surprisingly, the girls   
had all been turned off of all pudding products for life.  
  
Amy rambled on, disposing of the offending cookies in a handy toxic  
waste bag. (Those were stored in Amy's subspace pocket purely for Serena's  
sake). "Now, did you know that your chances of making it through alive were   
less than 15%?! Bombs can be made using ordinary household substances! What   
if Serena had accidentally mixed together a cocktail bomb? Although the   
chances of that are..." Here, she thankfully trailed off, whipping out the   
compact computer once again.  
  
The subject of Amy's musings moaned, dropping into a nearby chair.   
"I'm gonna flunk home ec! I'm really gonna flunk home ec! I'm going to   
be the first girl in history to flunk home ec!"  
  
"Oh Serena, no one flunks home ec. It's one of those unflunkable,   
guaranteed A classes." Mina consoled, patting Serena's arm.  
  
Serena snapped out of her dejection to level Mina with a glare.   
"That's what people said to the guy who flunked gym." That said, Serena   
threw her arms over her head and recommenced her moaning.  
  
Mina returned to her position on the couch. "Serena, don't worry   
about it. I'm sure it's mostly the Double E's that are getting you down."  
  
Lita looked away from the TV where Zach Morris was cooking up another  
one of his schemes. "Double E's?" She inquired.  
  
"You know, the Evil Exes." Again, this was followed by some finger   
wriggling. Raye took the opportunity to roll her eyes heavenward. "Double   
E's, Evil Exes, two E's, get it?"  
  
"Double E's? You make them sound like bra cup sizes." Lita stood   
up and stretched. "And that, judging by the cuts on my leg, they certainly   
aren't."  
  
Mina, turned away, humor sparkling in her light blue eyes. "Oh you   
would know," she said in a singsong voice.  
  
She was rewarded with a pillow in her face. Mina sputtered   
indignantly for a few seconds before retaliating with a nearby throw pillow.   
Unfortunately, despite her prowess with her chain, dear Sailor Venus was not   
as proficient in the art of pillow fighting. As a result, the launched   
projectile smacked right into Amy's face. Amy calmly put her computer   
back into her subspace pocket and picked up the pillow. With a practiced   
ease, she launched it at Mina. Mina, having some sense, knew what was coming   
and ducked. The pillow, therefore, cut Serena off mid wail. Serena,   
immediately jumping to the conclusion that a certain Senshi of Mars was the   
culprit, launched a pillow at said Senshi. World War III had begun.  
  
An hour later, Lita's entire apartment was a mess. Feathers were   
still airborne, slowly drifting down and blanketing the furniture like snow.   
Various knicknacks lay in disarray. As for the girls, they were draped   
across various pieces of furniture, completely exhausted.  
  
No one spoke a word for a long time.  
  
Lita, through great effort, lifted her head and surveyed the warzone   
that had been her apartment a mere hour ago. She dropped her head back,   
defeated. "Hey Serena," she ventured listlessly.  
  
"Yeah?" came the equally sluggish reply.  
  
"Who failed gym?"  
  
Serena flipped over onto her stomach. "Oh, you know. The guy who   
failed gym."  
  
"Ah."  
  
So...how much did I suck? *peeps out from behind hands* Okay, *takes deep   
breath,* ready for those flames! E-mail me at MLLEemme@aol.com.  
  
Well, thanks for sticking through this,  
Emme.  



	2. Reckonings

Disclaimer: Yeah, um, about owning Sailor Moon...I don't. I also   
don't own Starbucks. Or any other products/franchises   
I happen to mention.  
  
A.N: For future reference - because this is my story and because I'm a brat,   
I'm gonna change the generals' appearances just a tad. Long hair kind of   
doesn't do it for me, you know. That and I'd be too tempted to play   
with the possibility of hair pulling. But Jadeite's fine as is. Oh   
and a special thanks goes out to Narvis26 who sent me the first   
response to this story. *Sniff* Thank you *Sniff* You're so sweet.   
Oh go on and read the story before I start bawling.  
  
The Ties that Bind  
by Emme  
7/28/01  
Part Two  
  
"Drew, buddy," an obviously disgruntled, but deliciously disheveled   
Darien Chiba began as he sat down at his usual stool in the infamous Crown   
Arcade/Cafe, "this," he said gesturing to his steaming cup of coffee, "is crap."  
  
Andrew continued wiping the countertop, unfazed. "And yet you come   
in here and order a cup everyday."  
  
Darien just grunted.  
  
The arcade manager continued on, "And what do I tell you everyday?"  
The blonde paused, not to await an answer, but for effect. "Go to the   
Starbucks down the street if you find my coffee so damn crappy."  
  
Darien snorted. "Hah! Go to those coffee snobs? Never! You order   
a simple black coffee there and you get treated like a barbarian. Those   
elitists! They don't appreciate coffee in its pure form."  
  
Andrew just raised an eyebrow as Darien rambled on.  
  
"Just because I don't want anything cappuchinoed or frappuchinoed or   
whatever the hell else -chinoed, I'm the idiot! Well I won't have it, I tell   
ya, bud, I refuse to be treated in that manner..." he shouted, jumping onto   
the stool, "and do you know why? Because I am the great Darien Chiba!" He   
finished, throwing both arms into the air triumphantly.  
  
Meanwhile, the entire arcade had gone silent, staring at the handsome,   
but obviously mentally unbalanced young man standing atop the stool.  
  
Andrew turned away for a second, trying to stop doing his involuntary   
impression of a fish. Then, regaining his equilibrium, he turned to Darien   
and hissed, "Would you get down from there, you're scaring away my customers!"   
Turning to the startled patrons, he mouthed, "Heat stroke, he'll get over it."  
  
Darien obliged, giving him an apologetic look as he did so. "Sorry   
man," he said, calming down a little, "It's just been a long week." Andrew   
gave him a look. "Okay, okay, a VERY long week then."   
  
Andrew fixed him with another strange look before turning to another   
customer. "I'm so switching you to decaf."  
  
He sighed, wondering how Andrew would react if he knew the entire truth.   
Oh yeah, that'll go over real well, he thought to himself sarcastically.   
Hey guess what bud? By day, I'm your average overworked and underappreciated   
college student, but by night I'm a caped defender of justice in a nancy boy tuxedo.   
Oh and bud, are you ready for the kicker? I defend myself with roses and a cane!  
Darien smirked. Drew would probably wait approximately 3.2 seconds before having   
him admitted to the nearest insane asylum. Well, either that or have a stroke.  
  
He frowned, his stormy blue eyes turning almost black in his   
contemplation. This double life thing was a serious pain in the ass. However   
unattainable a career in medicine had been pre-evil bad guys threatening to   
destroy the world as we know it had been, it was ten times as difficult now,   
thanks to his new career of roosting on treetops. The late nights, not to   
mention every other time the Fab Four decided to unleash a youma, were seriously   
putting a cramp in his study time. Just last week, a blinding headache   
(courtesy of his mysterious link to Sailor Moon) had forced him to leave a   
major beaucoup points test. One that the professor had refused to let him make   
up despite his protests and despite his record as a spectacular student.   
  
"Ah Mr. Chiba," the old geezer had said, shuffling some papers. "This   
is not high school anymore. No more, 'Oh my dog ate my homework' or 'I have a   
terminal disease' excuses. I'm here to prepare you for the real world and I   
believe your first step should be learning not to make excuses. Admit that you   
didn't study."  
  
It had taken all the strength he possessed not to smash the wiley old   
man's face in.  
  
Now it would take some major brown-nosing to convince the man to give   
him some extra credit work. And brown-nosing was something completely against   
his nature.   
  
Speaking of the Fab Four... Now they were real pieces of work. Cruel,   
intelligent, and powerful, they formed an intimidating opposition. Nine times   
out of ten, they were completely focused on kicking his and the senshi's asses.   
Although...   
  
He looked up at the wall blankly.   
  
It was strange, but once, he could've sworn he saw Zoisite blanch when   
Sailor Mercury had fallen prey to Kunzite's boomerangs. In fact, each general   
seemed to have an attachment to one of the senshi.   
  
Zoisite to Mercury, Jedeite to Mars, Kunzite to Venus, and Nephrite to   
Jupiter, every senshi but Sailor Moon...   
  
It was strange, but he, too, seemed to have a connection to the generals.   
It was almost as if... it was almost as if... Darien's head snapped up...almost as   
if he knew them... He shook his head violently to dismiss the idea. That was   
ridiculous. Surely he'd remember if he met those psychos before. He searched   
his head for something else to complain about. Ahh the late-night wake-up calls.  
  
The ridiculous 3 a.m wake-up calls were quite literally killing him. Why   
couldn't Queen Beryl attack at a decent hour? Like after he'd had a good night's   
sleep and after he'd had at least five cups of coffee. Then, and only then   
would he be completely ready to take on evildoers. Darien sighed, slumping   
against the counter. He supposed he shouldn't blame everything on the Negaverse.   
A good night's sleep had always evaded him, thanks to the mysterious girl of his   
dreams. Literally. For as long as he'd remembered, he had been plagued (or blessed,   
depending on whether or not he had a major exam the next day) by dreams of a beautiful   
girl in white pleading with him to help her. Well, now, he thought self-righteously,   
he'd do a better job of that if she'd explain what she needed help with instead   
of speaking of some ambiguous apocalypse. AND if she'd let him see her damned face.   
Darien smacked his head into the counter. By the time this whole fiasco was over,   
he was sure he'd be about ready to die from exhaustion, not to mention a caffeine   
overdose.  
  
Something else nagged at him. Why was the Negaverse so damned persistent   
in attacking Tokyo? It just didn't make sense. Sure, the city was nice and all   
(a little overcrowded, yes, but nice, nevertheless) but what made it different   
from every other bustling city in the world? And theoretically speaking, if he   
was a insane madman bent on conquering the world and all, he would rather start   
somewhere that didn't have its own special brand of superheroes. But that was just   
him. But why did Queen Beryl insist on depositing her evil minions here if she knew   
that said minions would be stopped at every turn by sailor suited girls in short   
skirts?   
  
Sadly, he didn't have an answer for this or any of the other burning   
questions he harbored in his poor, ragged head.  
  
But it's not all that bad, now is it? a voice in his mind teased.  
  
No, he had to concede it wasn't all that bad. There were some definite   
perks to the job. A certain gorgeous blonde leotard-suited leader of the   
senshi, just to name one. The other senshi weren't bad looking, either, but   
something about the Senshi of the Moon drew him.   
  
Something about her eyes.   
  
Yes, something about her eyes was strangely familiar to him, as if he'd   
spent an eternity looking into the crystalline pools of baby blue before...   
He shook his head, a rueful smile twisting his lips. Oh great, now he was   
waxing poetic over her.  
  
Still, he sure wouldn't mind being stranded on a deserted island with her.  
Her and/or the girl in his dreams. (A.N: Dare, Dare, Dare,*shakes head,* typical   
male.)  
*********************  
  
Deep within the Arctic sea, in the frigid throneroom of the Negaverse,   
the self-proclaimed Queen of the Negaverse sat gazing into a crystal ball.   
She had been beautiful once, that much was certain. But now her features were   
twisted and marred by evil and hate. What had once been sparkling forest green   
eyes were now a deep, souless, blood red. Her hair too, once resembling the color   
of a setting sun and once the envy of every woman in the kingdom, was now darker   
and coarse, reminiscent of rust.  
  
Hate bubbled within Queen Beryl, threatening to overwhelm her as she   
stared at the image she had conjured.  
  
Serenity.  
  
She had been everything that was good and pure, with an infectious   
laugh and a heart-warming smile. Incredibly beautiful, too, with her   
long, silvery hair and her bright blue eyes the color of the clear morning sky.   
Sensuous and lovely, she had, oddly enough, radiated an innocence that drew   
people to her. Despite the initial distrust the people of Earth held for   
foreigners, her highness, Princess Serenity, heir to the Moon Kingdom had   
quickly won everyone over in a matter of weeks.  
  
It made her sick. Oh how she had wanted to tear that beautiful hair   
out and how she had wished even more to gouge out those crystal blue orbs.   
As far as she was concerned, that stupid little bitch had cast an evil spell   
over everyone...including Endymion.  
  
Endymion.  
  
Her heart clenched longingly at the thought of the devilish dark-haired   
prince. He had been the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome and knew it too.   
With his rougish, bad boy air and his quick wit, he'd had no problem charming   
women into his bed. She had been no exception.  
  
Though the prince had insinuated nothing more than a quick tryst, she   
had thought she'd been different. Granted she was older than him and granted   
she was just one of the many nobles in court...but with all her beauty and all   
the love she had held and still held for him, how could he have not loved her   
back? Endymion had laughed at her sentiments, stating that what she was going   
through was just an infactuation. It wasn't love, he had said ruefully, because   
love didn't exist. The idea that there was a special someone out there for   
everyone was simply preposterous, he had bit out, throwing his hands into the air.  
  
A saddened visage, she had accepted his refusal of a deeper commitment.   
After all, wasn't it better to have him this way than not have him at all?  
  
Then Serenity had come. With her entourage.  
  
Beryl had foolishly dismissed the innocent, carefree Princess as   
competition right away. She'd been more worried about her senshi. Beryl had simply   
figured that the brat wasn't Endymion's type. She'd been right at first. Stupidly,   
she had congratulated herself on her deduction when the Prince and the Princess's   
personalities seemed to grate. Whenever they were together, arguments abounded as   
they seemed to disagree on everything. To make matters worse (or from her point of   
view, better), Endymion had derived pleasure from deliberately riling up the young   
Princess. Even better, rumors flew about affairs between Endymion's generals and   
the senshi. That had eliminated the senshi as competition. All in all, she had   
been so confident in her position that she had overlooked the warning signs. Beryl   
clenched the ball angrily.  
  
She should have noticed something had changed when Endymion couldn't stop   
ranting about Serenity. Naive as she was then, she had chalked it all up to anger   
and annoyance. How could she have known it was love? Then came Endymion's   
insistence on escorting the Princess everywhere. 'It's my duty as the host, you   
understand,' he had remarked to her casually, 'an alliance with the Moon would be   
extremely beneficial to the Earth.' Though thoroughly miffed, she hadn't thought   
it a big deal, as Endymion was still seeing her. Still, she should have been   
tipped off those couple of months when a neighboring dignitary arrived, flowers in   
hand, to pursue Princess Serenity. So happy was she that someone else was   
occupying the Moon brat's time that she didn't notice how on edge Endymion was.   
During a ball held in the dignitary's honor, she hadn't even noticed how his own   
nails had dug into his hands every time the Princess and the dignitary would dance.   
Even when Endymion suggested a temporary break between them, she hadn't been too   
upset, still convinced that her Prince would come back to her, as he always did.  
  
How wrong she had been.  
  
Unbeknownst to her, Princess Serenity and Endymion had fallen head over   
heels in love with each other. It wasn't until she had eavesdropped on a   
conversation between Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars that she had realized the truth.   
  
The two Princesses had been in their suite, picking out gowns for a ball   
that was to be held that night. The soft sounds of their conversation had floated   
out into the hall, and hearing Endymion's name mentioned, she had crept to the door,   
curious.  
  
"Are you sure Mina?" Mars had asked, looking at her blonde friend doubtfully.   
"Endymion is a Terran."  
  
"Raye, I've never been so sure of anything in my life," Venus had shaken her   
head, tossing her blonde strands behind her, "love crosses all boundaries, remember?"   
She had paused. "It's amazing...it's like...it's like...they're one. The energy   
between them is incredible. It's almost overwhelming. If you could feel what I feel   
Raye, you'd have no doubts either." Venus had looked at Mars, blue eyes imploring,   
"Don't you feel something?"  
  
Beryl had tensed, trying to discern the objects of the pair's conversation.   
She hadn't needed to bother, for Mars' next words shook her to the core.  
  
Staring blankly off into space, Mars had whispered, "Yes. I sense a deep   
connection between Endymion and Serenity." She had looked at her friend with a soft   
smile on her face, "So they're soul mates, huh?"  
  
"Yes," Venus had replied. "But we can't tell them. They have to find out   
for themselves."  
  
She hadn't lingered to hear more of the conversation. Feeling sick all of   
the sudden, she had ran all the way to her chambers and had promptly thrown up.   
Hope had faded within her as there was no doubt to the Princess of Venus's words.   
It was a known fact that those of the royal Venusian family were clairvoyant in   
the matters of love. Venus had spoken the truth.  
  
At the ball that night, Endymion and Serenity's engagement was announced.   
Endymion didn't even notice her wretched face, so enamoured with Serenity he was.   
Following that evening, Beryl had wrought a determined campaign to end Serenity's   
life. She hired assassins, she tried poisoning the Princess's food, and she even   
tried to do the deed herself, but alas, the senshi were always there. Even Beryl   
had been impressed with the Sailor bitches' skill and loyalty to Serenity.   
Inevitably, she had been cast out both by the Earth King and the Moon Queen, the   
very Princess she had sought to kill showing her mercy by refusing to have her   
executed. And so, she had been thrown into a deep dungeon on one of the moons of   
Jupiter, destined to rot her life away.  
  
Until Metallia had saved her. Saved her and offered her wealth and power.   
But most importantly, offered her what she coveted most...Endymion. Beryl had   
secretly gathered an imposing force before returning to Earth. There, she had   
taken Endymion's four most trusted advisors at Metallia's behest. A sneer curved   
her lips. That had certainly been a smart move. After a considerable amount of   
brainwashing, they had become the perfect soldiers.   
  
Jadeite, Zoisite, Nephrite, Kunzite. She giggled. What fools they were!   
They had no idea how much entertainment they had unwittingly given her. Oh the irony!  
The senshi hadn't stood a chance when she had finally unleashed her forces on the   
galaxy. She remembered, in particular, the look of horror and denial on Mercury's   
face when Zoisite ran her through with an ice crystal. Ahh, the senshi being killed   
by their true loves...Beryl stretched langorously...that had been truly poetic.  
  
Her thoughts turned dark as she thought about the outcome of that particular   
battle. Endymion had been lost to her and in the end, that stupid Bitch Queen had   
ruined everything. It wasn't fair. If it wasn't for that crystal... Yes, she   
would've at least had something.  
  
She focused on the present. Oh well, she had been brought up to try, try   
again. Despite the considerable loss to her numbers, she was really quite confident   
that she would succeed this time. The senshi were younger than she remembered, and   
therefore, more apt to make mistakes. The generals would get rid of them soon   
enough. All she had to do, therefore, was locate Endymion, find out who that   
damn Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask were and kill them, and finally, get her hands on   
that magnificent Silver Crystal.  
  
Her resolve strengthened, she telepathically called the generals to her.   
All four arrived in flashes of energy at once, immediately bowing down to her. Beryl   
smiled, she always did get a kick out of that.  
  
"Gentlemen," she addressed them, "I believe it's time to send out another   
youma. And if it's not too much trouble this time, GET RID OF THE SENSHI!"  
  
Jadeite ventured to look up, sloppy bangs falling into his eyes, "Of course,   
my Queen, we're doing everything we can, but they're more powerful than you think."   
Inwardly he scowled. It was true. Both sides were relatively equal, and therefore,   
were at a stalemate. What the senshi lacked in knowlege and experience, they more   
than made up in power. And THAT, was what her highness failed to realize.  
  
Beryl stared him down. "You killed them once, how hard can it be to kill   
them again?" She hissed. "What's more, they've just been awakened. I suggest you   
take advantage of the situation."  
  
Kunzite, meanwhile, was pondering an idea. The senshi, despite their age,   
were still considerable foes. They were amazingly powerful and he suspected that   
a large amount of that power was still untapped. After all, we killed them before   
they were able to explore them. What if...what if...they were brought over to   
serve Queen Beryl? The Negaverse would gain some powerful allies, and...he and his   
comrades would be spared killing their loves again.  
  
Mina... something forbidden in his heart stirred. He couldn't deny that he   
still loved her as much as he did a thousand years ago. But orders were orders.   
She was working for the enemy and his specialty was crushing the enemy. Still,   
something in his heart clenched whenever he hurt her in battle. But if she   
was converted, he'd have a chance to rekindle what they once had. The notion had   
boundless possibilities.  
  
He spoke up, "Forgive me, my Queen, but I have a suggestion." He paused.   
"Suppose we bring the senshi over to our side. Zoisite has perfected the mind   
control techniques, once we get them here, it'd be a simple matter to turn them."   
He stood as Queen Beryl got a faraway look in her eyes. "The Negaverse would gain   
some powerful allies."   
  
Beryl smiled. My, my, my, they are a smart investment. What Kunzite   
was saying made sense. With the senshi on her side, she'd be unstoppable. When   
the Moon Princess resurfaced and discovered that her senshi had betrayed her, she'd   
be no match. And with her out of the picture, when she found Endymion, no one   
would be able to take him away. And they'd rule side by side, always and forever...   
just as it was meant to be.  
  
However..., she frowned. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask were still mysteries.   
She would have to tread carefully as those two would certainly put a kink in her   
plans. She had previously believed that Sailor Moon and the Moon Princess were one   
and the same but she had dismissed that idea when she observed some discrepancies in   
Sailor Moon's behavior. The scared little senshi, Serenity? Never! She laughed at   
the thought. The two didn't even look alike! But perhaps Moon was installed by the   
dead Queen's spirit to protect her daughter. Yes...that would certainly make sense.   
Tuxedo Mask, however, was still a complete enigma. And that made him dangerous.  
  
She turned to Kunzite. "Yes, I suppose they would be more valuable alive.   
But we musn't make a move yet...not until we figure out Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask..."   
She trailed off. Then, turning to the generals she said, "Perhaps we've been going   
about this all wrong. I want you gentlemen to send out a youma to this energy point   
as planned. But this time, don't attack the senshi yourselves, just observe..." She   
stood. "I want to know all I can about the senshi and Tuxedo Mask before we make a   
move, especially Moon and Mask. After all, knowlege is power. I don't care how you do   
it, just give me something I can use. Go now."  
  
"As you wish." The generals brought their fists to their chests and   
disappeared.  
  
Queen Beryl laughed. If she bided her time, everything she'd ever wanted   
would soon be hers.  
  
  
Same drill, everyone! Let's all follow Narvis26's example and E-mail me!  
See, I'm trying to establish a pattern here: Story, E-mail, story, E-mail, story.   
It's positive reinforcement...or something, I don't know, I wasn't really   
paying attention in Psychology last semester (too busy staring at the hottie   
sitting across the room). MLLEemme@aol.com  



	3. Hazards

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Or Pillsbury. Or Pier 1. Or Superman.  
  
A.N: Sorry for getting this out so late. School's starting and I still have   
to finish some summer homework which *ahem* I was supposed to have   
finished like last month.  
  
The Ties that Bind  
by Emme  
8/28/01  
Part Three  
  
"School sucks," a dejected Serena Tsukino muttered under her breath as   
she made her way through the usual throng of people on the streets. It really   
looked as if she had jinxed herself at Lita's. "Stupid teachers. As if learning   
how to make cookies is a quintessential skill of life." But according to her evil   
home-ec teacher, it was. Or at least that was the conclusion she had drawn from the   
big fat "F" on her grade card. So what if she couldn't bake a decent batch of   
cookies. Or make throw pillows. Or cross-stitch. This was the twentieth century!   
Hadn't the woman ever heard of Pillsbury easy-bake or Pier 1? Giving an offended   
sniff, Serena kicked at a pebble furiously, watching as it hit a public trashcan   
with a satisfying clang.   
  
Really though, it hadn't really been her fault. How could she have been   
expected to pay attention to the art of chocolate chip cookie making with evil   
psychos on her mind? Ok, sure some of her absentmindedness was natural, but add   
to that the sleepless nights and almost daily ass-kickings, and you had a catatonic   
nuclear hazard just waiting to happen. Serena blanced as she recalled the slightly   
green, brown chocolate-spotted, mushy pile of goo all of her earnest efforts had   
created. Her teacher's face had turned the same curious shade of green when she had   
laid her eyes on it.  
  
She dismissed the unfortunate incident with a shake of her blond pigtails.  
  
Really, teachers should be kissing the ground that she walked on for all the   
energy she spent making sure that the streets of Tokyo was safe. Briefly, she   
entertained herself with the notion of telling everybody at school her secret.   
A brilliant smile crossed her face. Hah, if they knew what a stalwart citizen she   
was being, they would undoubtedly be worshiping the ground she walked on. Ah...the   
possibilities. No more detentions, little or no homework, project extensions. Oh!   
Not to mention being able to say that monsters really *did* eat her homework.   
Serena smirked. She'd probably be able to coast through school on waves of gratitude   
alone.   
  
Yeah, in your dreams, the rational side of her taunted. Yes, let's   
let the cat out of the bag. Bring on the paparrazi. Let Beryl know exactly who   
you are and let her find you and torture you. Not to mention your friends and   
family. Really Serena, brilliant idea there.  
  
She bit her lip in consternation. She was only 16! 16! Girls her age   
were supposed to worry about guys, their grades, and whether or not they should   
color their hair, not the best ways to kill a youma. It really wasn't fair.   
She wondered how her friends could stand it sometimes. She gave a sad sigh, her   
heart going out to them. She supposed she had it easier than they did. SHE didn't   
have to fight against the love of her life, her soulmate. In fact, she barely even   
remembered the love of her life.  
  
Endymion. The name only summoned vague memories of a dark haired man,   
obscure feelings and emotions of warmth and comfort...and a deep, soul-binding love.   
She ached to remember more so she could fully embrace those emotions as her own,   
but now, with her partial memory, they were like shadows she couldn't grasp.  
  
Her friends, however, could remember their loves. Though they, like her, had   
only a dim recollection of their lives on the moon, they could put faces to their   
feelings, could vividly recall moments they shared with their soulmates. Serena   
cringed, remembering the first time the Senshi faced the generals in battle. It   
must've been a knife in their hearts, seeing the men they loved and trusted working   
for the one person who had destroyed their lives. After repeated attempts to reason   
with them, her Senshi had been resigned to the situation, even going as far as   
making light-hearted jokes as Mina frequently did. Serena suddenly felt a burning   
anger for what she and her friends were being put through.  
  
She really had to wonder just how smart people in the past were. Granted   
she couldn't remember everything, but what made her mother and other people think that   
a group of adolescent girls could protect the universe? What made them think that they   
would be able to handle such a responsibility? They must've been oxygen deprived.   
Yes, that certainly made sense. Now, upholding that responsibility required her to squelch   
the childish urges she was currently having. Serena smiled ruefully, she'd have to go   
through life the normal way.  
  
Well fine then, she'd settle for the Clark Kent routine...but she wouldn't   
be happy about it. That resolved, she pushed open the doors of the Crown Cafe...   
only to walk right smack into the chest of a certain smug, arrogant, moronic  
(and really she could go on forever with the adjectives) man.  
  
Extricating herself from his chest, she took a step back to asess his   
appearance. Her blue eyes widened as she took in his 3-day stubble, his mussed hair,   
and his wrinkled clothes. One side of his shirt was untucked, as if he just hadn't  
bothered to.   
  
So, the smooth college man wasn't so smooth after all, she thought gleefully.   
He looked tired and crankier than usual. But then, so did she. Her eyes narrowed as   
she observed the annoyance spreading throughout his admittedly handsome face. Well, if   
he wanted a fight, who was she to disappoint? Serena squashed the rationality that was   
telling her to walk away and prepared for battle.   
  
Really, if I can take on evil minions of Queen Beryl on a daily basis, an   
insignificant human being like Darien Chiba should be no match for me.   
  
At least, he SHOULD be no match for her. Pure, simple logic told her so,   
but numerous field experiments had proved otherwise. It really was a mystery, the   
difficulty she had with Darien, perhaps she should have Amy look into it for her.   
That girl could figure out ANYTHING if she put her mind to it. Her thoughts were   
rudely interrupted by the dratted man of her musings.  
  
"Ah, meatball head, I was beginning to wonder when you were going to make   
an appearance," he drawled, stepping out into the street.  
  
That stopped her for a moment. "You were?" she asked, scrunching her nose   
in confusion.  
  
"Why yes, this week has already been worse enough." He paused, sidestepping   
to let a harried woman pass. "An encounter with you would officially make it the   
worse week in my entire life." He continued, eyes settling back on her challengingly.  
  
Why, the nerve of that idiot! He was practically begging to be pounded   
into the ground with verbal insults. Her eyes hardened as she offered him a   
sickeningly sweet smile. "I aim to please," she drew out in a syrupy tone.  
  
Darien tensed, his eyes narrowing as well. "Fail any tests lately?" He asked   
just as sweetly.  
  
Ouch, that was a low blow. She couldn't let him know that she had failed   
home-ec. That provided enough fodder for him to insult her for the rest of her life.   
She'd never live it down. "Wow Darien, that sure was original," she said, hoping   
to draw the topic of conversation away from her grades. "For a hot-shot college man,   
you sure are redundant."  
  
"Ah...so you have."  
  
Serena sputtered, completely outraged. Damn it! He was smarter than she had   
given him credit for. The nerve of that jerk though! Not everyone was blessed   
with a super humongous brain! Rage bubbled within her, threatening to overflow.   
"Well that isn't any of your business!"   
  
"So what is it this time?" Darien pretended to be puzzled. "Science,   
english, or...math?" Here, he glanced at her wickedly. "Gosh, those multiplication   
tables are a killer, aren't they Meatball Head? he deadpanned.  
  
Serena fumed. "Why you low-life amoeba!" She crossed her arms haughtily.   
"For your information, you scum, I happen to be in geometry! And you should talk,   
you can't even remember my name!"  
  
"Well, at least we know it isn't science." He said, not even acknowleging   
her last comment. His eyes glinted a mischievous cobalt as he observed her   
reddening face.  
  
"You complete and utter jerk!" She sputtered, too angry to think of better   
barbs.   
  
"Ouch, Meatball Head," the insufferable man began, "that really hurts   
my feelings." Bringing both hands to his heart, he feigned being hurt. "I don't think   
I'll survive such clever, caustic, vindictive insults."  
  
Serena blew up, letting out the strangled scream she had been holding for   
the last ten seconds. "Oh go to Hell!" Serena yelled, turning on her heels, her   
desire for a double fudge sundae forgotten.   
  
She quickly started across the street, bodily pushing frightened pedestrians   
out of her path. Granted it wasn't the nicest thing to do, but she desperately needed   
to get away from the irritating frat boy. Luckily, no one retaliated as the good   
citizens of Tokyo recognized expression on Serena's face as the universal "I'm about to   
fly into a homicidal rage, so outta my way!" look.   
  
This whole thing had been a mistake, Serena thought, angry at herself. She never   
should have gotten into it with Darien in her state of mind. Ah, but it was just   
too tempting the little imaginary devil on her shoulder taunted. She shot an angry   
glance at said imaginary devil and focused on her favorite fantasy: pushing Darien down   
a steep, high, and preferably rocky cliff. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to dwell on that   
as her communicator started beeping maniacally.  
  
Serena sighed, silently praying to the powers that be that she wouldn't be thrown   
two hundred feet in the air into a light pole. Again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
